Stand more, sit less at work. It’s a fairly new way of thinking that is proven to increase productivity and keep employees healthy. Studies from the British Heart Foundation of 2,000 UK Office workers found that 37% of men and 43% of women spend less than 30 minutes a day on their feet in an office. In all, 78% of office workers felt they spent too much time sat down, which can lead to sluggishness, reduced alertness and a decrease in motivation. To counter this, office design companies are now looking at ways to get people out of their office chairs.

Denmark took the lead in this area by making it mandatory for employers to offer staff sit-stand workstations. Now the UK is catching up and there’s even an ‘on your feet’ day  planned on Friday 27th April 2018, where people will be encouraged to sit less and move more.

Incorporating sit-stand workstations into your office design works best with some forward planning. It’s good to observe how people work and move around the office to assess whether they could benefit from a sit-stand desk. For instance, those who have laptops are more inclined to be on the move and would be more likely to adopt a sit-stand.

Employers don’t have to make a total switch to sit-stand, as a new breed of office desks allow employees to quickly swap between sitting and standing to suit their mood, task or even state of health. Height-adjustable desks offer optimum comfort for employees and an office refurbishment is the ideal time to replace outdated, fixed desks. It’s also possible to introduce standing meeting tables and break-out areas to your office, which encourage people to get up from their office chairs.

If the thought of sit-stand office desks sounds appealing, you might like to consider one of the four main desk types:-

• Electric sit-stand desks are the most popular solution – easy to use and some even measure your sitting time and provide computer prompts to change position.
• Counterbalance desks adjust by releasing and locking a lever to alter height. They require moderate force to push down and can easily be raised upwards.
• Winding Handle sit-stand desks use a cog and wheel system to elevate.
• Hybrid desks combining both counterbalance and winding handle functionality are a recent development and offer good flexibility.

Bespoke office furniture which is colourful engages staff on several levels so if you’re looking for a new range of functional sit-stand furniture for your office, get in touch today.

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